A Diabetic-Friendly Energy Drink

A diabetic-friendly energy drink is the key that helped me unlock the door to weight loss and more consistent mental and physical energy. By making it possible to think more clearly the energy drink helped me to lose twenty pounds and reduce my risk for fullblown diabetes-2.

Of course, most diabetics wouldn't think of drinking an energy drink. "Everyone" knows they are loaded with sugar and nerve-wracking levels of caffeine -- and this is true, for MOST of them. Most energy drinks are junk, just concocted to make the manufacturer richer, not to safely give anyone better energy, alertness, and weight loss. Just the opposite is more likely, even for the "Diet" versions (which are dangerous for several reasons, as you'll see below).

What IS an energy drink, anyway? And what would be different about one that would make it a diabetic-friendly energy drink?

Energy drinks are merely a mixture of one or more stimulants, some B vitamins that have been found to facilitate the cellular energy process, usually some amino acids -- especially the much-maligned Taurine -- some flavoring, some herbs that ideally serve a constructive purpose, usually one electrolyte (salt), and lots of sweetener.

It is important to mentally separate the usual "junk" energy drinks that are made without much consideration of the consumers' long-term health from the few that are designed with Health, Safety, Effectiveness, and Flavor in mind. We're only going to consider the second group here.

It would be irresponsible to suggest that anyone, much less a diabetic, should drink the common commercially-promoted energy drinks with 39-57 grams of simple sugars in one can. Likewise, any "zero-carb" artificially-sweetened energy drinks will not be considered here. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners contribute to weight gain and Diabetes, itself. Learn how they do that in the video below.

Coffee and tea are some of the earliest "energy drinks" that allowed people to access more energy on-demand. But the process of creating energy in our body naturally throws off free radicals -- unpaired electrons that frantically look for a positive charged particle they can steal. This can damage cell walls, DNA, or create havoc in other minor ways that add up over time. Energy drinks, IF they are intelligently formulated, compensate for these free radicals by adding antioxidants, such as Vitamin C and A.

The purpose of including taurine and ginseng in energy drink formulas, put in simple terms, is to modulate and protect the body from the side-effects of releasing an increased quantity of energy. Along this line, taurine has been shown to be an antioxidant, to help in cell-membrane stabilization, inhibitory neurotransmission (applying the brakes to overly rapid nerve impulses that lead to nerve-cell death by excitotoxicity), protection against lead and cadmium toxicity, among many other important functions...

As you can see, the truth about the potential benefits of a well-formulated Diabetic-Friendly Energy Drink is far different than the scare tactics resorted to by the press.

Especially relevant is the research finding reported by Wikipedia that "supplementation with taurine has been shown to prevent oxidative stress induced by exercise."

So, in a well-designed energy drink, the usual nervousness associated with caffeine use is smoothed out by the inclusion of taurine and other essential nutrients. The addition of a significant amount of potassium to the energy drink I use remedies the shortage of this important nutrient that is frequently found in diabetics.

There are other, more enjoyable forms of herbal caffeine, such as guarana and green tea extract, that can be used instead of the cheap synthetic caffeine anhydrous that only delivers a quick rush and then a "crash" only a few hours later. Guarana is a longer-lasting, more interestingly complex form of caffeine that is also safer -- no danger of tachycardia. (Many people have noticed that guarana gives them the happy euphoria similar to dark chocolate).

It is frequently assumed by the uninformed haters of energy drinks that taurine must be a stimulant of some kind because it is in nearly all energy drinks. Read the Wikipedia listing on taurine for yourself to see that it is just the opposite -- it mostly acts to protect the body in many ways, damping down the negative effects usually found in high energy states of mind and bodily exertion. This is a big improvement on coffee and tea, which have fewer modulating ingredients.

Where Health Conscious Diabetics Can Buy Energy Drinks

With every consumer good (such as a diabetic-friendly energy drink), there are two quality levels available -- one, for the average person who "only knows what they read in the paper" or hear gossiped on the street, and another premium-quality product offered to more discerning shoppers.

For instance, both Ford Escort and Mercedes are automobiles. One is cheap and doesn't hold up very well and the other can last for hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles. Most people will buy the cheaper car and may pay more in the long run on repairs, towing charges, and replacing the car every few years. This principle holds true in energy drinks, also, except that it's your body that's not going to hold up well if you buy less than the best quality.

Smart shoppers know that cheaper products usually cost more in the long run. Nowhere is this more true than in the case of products claimed to be safe and diabetic-friendly energy drinks.

Most energy drinks are thrown together with cheap ingredients, little or no research, and massive spending on advertising. Far more money is spent on advertising and promoting the average energy drink than is spent on creating one that is truly revolutionary and beneficial for the typical non-diabetic buyer, much less so for the diabetic.

This is why the average energy drink -- and especially the zero-calorie or "diet" versions -- are correctly seen as out-of-the-question for diabetics.

But, what the public doesn't realize is that there is a "professional quality" energy drink brand that is made to the higher standards that diabetics must have.

To make a high-quality, diabetic-friendly energy drink, it helps to have a medical advisory board and an athletic advisory board to review the product with the most current knowledge of which ingredients will produce the safest and healthiest results for their customers. The company Youngevity.com has these resources to assure the quality of their energy drinks and their many other diabetic-friendly products.

To make an energy drink safe for diabetics requires the use of stevia and natural fruit sugars, which cost more than artificial sweeteners. Stevia is a natural herbal extract with thousands of years of safe use by the Indians of South America. It is more expensive for the manufacturer of A.C.T., but they evidently feel producing the best quality product is worth it. I'm glad someone cares that much about your health and mine.

The diabetic-friendly energy drink I am referring to is the A.C.T. Energy Drink. The company that makes it has been merged with its parent company, Youngevity.com, and the drink can now be found in powder form (handy for traveling or when you're eating in restaurants) as well as in 12-ounce cans.

I tell much more about it in my previous Web site, www.HealthyPlanetDiet.com, which currently holds the top-ranked Google listing for "diabetic-friendly energy drink" -- but the link on that page is no longer functioning. (I sold that Web site and cannot correct the link.)

Youngevity also offers a variety of energy and sports drinks and shots -- all made to their exacting standards of quality. They are very aware of the special metabolic needs of diabetics, which is a rare quality.

To minimize the carbohydrate intake, I prefer the A.C.T. powder version, which comes in 30-serving canisters as well as 30 stick pack boxes. In this version, the sugars from dried fruit extracts add only 7 grams per serving. I don't find it necessary to drink more than 3.5 grams of this at a time, so this keeps the carbs quite low. The 12-ounce drink in cans on the other hand, contain 12 grams of sugar (compared to 39 grams for a 12-ounce Red Bull) -- but 12 grams, while delicious, is too much for my needs.

On the plus side, the carbs supplying the sweetness of the A.C.T. energy drink come mostly from fruit extracts and produce an ORAC score of 4300 per serving, as tested independently by Brunswick Laboratories. The flavanoids in these extracts may contribute to the fat-burning ability I noticed when I lost 20 pounds with the drink.

To Try A.C.T. -- the original Diabetic-Friendly Energy Drink

To save money, you can become a Youngevity member for free and receive a supply of A.C.T. delivered monthly to your home or office. This autoship can be modified or canceled at any time without penalty.

Youngevity offers a variety of sports and energy drinks -- both with and without caffeine, all very healthy. I will review the other products that might help Diabetics and Prediabetics regain their natural energy after I try them.

To order the "Advanced Cellular Technology" A.C.T. energy drink, to see for yourself how well it works, go to this link: Diabetic-Friendly Energy Drink.

Another way to enjoy more energy without adding calories or spiking blood sugars is AddieUP